Family & Children

In recent decades, European societies have witnessed fundamental changes in family functions and roles. These changes also have implications for reproductive strategies. Most European countries have experienced declining fertility rates, a diversification of family forms, and increased female labour force participation. Since the emergence of the modern welfare state, there has been general agreement in Europe that the state should influence the general conditions for families. However, the motivations for the instruments of family policies differ widely (see, e.g., Neyer, 2003 for details).

This section provides legal information on family policies over time (collected until 2016 within PERFAR), focusing on the following fields: